


Sequins

by ussgallifrey221b



Series: To Build a Home [13]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-24 06:20:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20353795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ussgallifrey221b/pseuds/ussgallifrey221b
Summary: He really shouldn't feel this nervous, but the look on her face makes him think it's worth it.





	Sequins

**Author's Note:**

> Relevant [song](https://youtu.be/ckCwBAhz4oc) to listen to.

The nerves were eating him alive as he readjusted his tie. Anxiously pulling at the cuffs on his dark suit as he fixed himself in the mirror with a wary gaze. The whole thing was so much easier to digest when it came in on that little black and white invitation last month. But standing here, now, in front of the mirror in the en-suite? God, Bucky wanted to run more than ever before. 

Shifting to the side, taking in the outfit from a different angle didn’t help matters. The sting of aftershave wasn’t helping the situation either. He had promised though, at request, he would shave the stubble down to absolute smoothness. And as much as he hates wearing a skin veil for the arm, he's doing it for a reason. They don't need any unwanted attention tonight.

He finally turns, arms out hesitantly, “What’d ya’ think?”

Gabe shifts restlessly on the toilet lid, annoyed with the entire predicament of having to stay still for any given amount of time. He’d rather be running from one end of the house to the other, having Timothy chase him in his walker. Instead, he’s forced to stay in the bathroom with Bucky while everyone else got ready.

Kicking at the edge of the walker with his socked foot, making the brightly-colored rattle spin, he mumbles something like, “Mhmm, yeah. It's good.”

Bucky gives a little nod, “I always value your opinion, buddy.” He smiles as he ruffles the mop of brown hair on the three-year-old. Then he’s bending down to grab the baby out of his confining toy, “Come on you two, I bet mommy’s almost ready.”

And like a bolt, as soon as the door is open, Gabe is racing out of the room and to the gated stairs. Jumping up and down impatiently as he waits for Bucky to open the gate and grab his hand for the trek downstairs. With the right keeping the slobber of a teething baby away from the suit jacket, he carefully leads the boys down to the main floor.

Timothy is carefully placed down into the living room by a basket of baby toys and Gabe is deposited on the other side of him, far enough away to prevent the usual falling hazard. Looking between the brass clock by the door and down the hallway, Bucky calls out, “Hey, babe? Almost ready?”

It takes a second but he sees you peek your head around the bathroom door, smiling wide, “You have to turn around - “ you duck your head back into the bathroom quickly, before looking back out at him, “ _ and  _ close your eyes.”

“Of course,” he smiles as he turns towards the front door, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Staring down at the shine of his black dress loafers, he hears the distinctive high-pitched laughter and clicks of small shoes.

With a little fanfare to your voice, you announce, “Her Majesty, Queen Rebecca!”

With a quick turn, he’s beaming down at the sight of the five-year-old in front of him. Bouncing up and down on her white strapped shoes, she gives him a big grin. Grabbing at the hem of her dress, she bops back and forth. Gabe rushes to the gate with an interested  _ ooh! _

Giving you a little wink, he drops down to a knee and grabs her hand, neon bracelets rattling on her wrist, “My lady.”

She giggles, ducking her head down, “ _ Daddy! _ ”

Her hair is done up with loose curls and a big pink bow. Under a white cardigan is her sparkly pink ombré dress. He knows he’ll be finding sequins everywhere for the next few days, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything when he sees the excitement bubbling upon his daughter's face. Bucky stands back up, holding her little hand in his still, while he fumbles for the car keys in his pants pocket.

“Have fun you two. We’ll hold down the fort, uhm,  _ castle _ ,” you smile, swooping to pick Tim up into your arms. His little face scrunching up at the sight of his dad heading for the door.

In the elementary school gym, under a cover of silver and pink party decorations and the glitter of a disco ball, Bucky finds himself wading through thigh-high students and their fathers. Rebecca nearly dragging him along to find her group of friends from the morning Kindergarten class. She drops his hand as she rushes towards a girl in a teal blue dress, excitedly swishing her pink skirts around with a series of twirls. With a trained eye on her, a simple layout of the gym and exit points (completely out of habit, of course), Bucky pulls at the tight blue tie as a man saddles up next to him.

“First time?”

Bucky side-eyes the redhead in the gray suit jacket, before turning his attention back to Rebecca and the growing number of girls circling together, “Yeah.”

“I’ve got two myself,” the man continues, unprompted. “My fourth grader really wants nothing to do with me, but Danielle, my Kindergartener, it’s her first dance.”

Bucky follows his gaze to the curly-haired redhead talking to Becca.  _ Dani _ . She talked about her all the time at home.

“We’re mostly just here for supervising, trust me. They’ll want to dance and talk and hang out at the snack table. And maybe they’ll be nice enough to give us a dance or two,” he laughs, waving at the little girl who’s seeking him out in the dark crowd.

His words mostly ring true. Bucky finds himself stalking the perimeter of the gym, watching Becca giggle and dance with her friends. Occasionally looking around for him, before being pulled back to the other girls. They squeal as they dance to the choreographed party songs and he'll be honest to say that he'd much rather be sitting it out than doing the Chicken Dance. But she's having fun and that's all that really matters.

After an hour, a rush of pink tackles his legs. She smiles up at him, hands looped together behind his thighs, standing on top of his feet, “Hi dad.”

Gently pulling her hands free, holding them in his own for a more secure grip, she leans backwards with a laugh. “Hey, Becca Bear. Having fun?”

She nods enthusiastically, “Mhmm!” And then she’s rattling off a series of tales about her friends and the adventures they’ve had since they arrived at the Daddy Daughter Dance. She’s almost out of breath as she finishes up, “And then Sara went with her dad and Kali went to the bathroom, I think? But then they were all gone and I was looking for you and I wanted to dance, so I think we should go do that!” She pulls at his hands, “Come on, dad! Please, please, please!”

He laughs at her eagerness, feeling a bit of a swell in his chest from the absolute cuteness of her. Pulling one hand away to push his hair back, feeling the warm heat of too many bodies in the gym, he lets her lead him to the edge of the dance floor where an upbeat song is playing. Something a little old school. Something that wasn’t the fifth rendition of Baby Shark.

_ Ooh, and it's alright and it's coming along / we gotta get right back to where we started from / love is good, love can be strong / we gotta get right back to where started from _

She starts out by swaying back and forth, leaning back, shoes clicking on the wood floor. He hunches over a bit to keep her steady in his grip, but something seems to spark in his mind. Big band music and Victory red lips and high curls shaking his core. Dropping one hand from hers, he spins the smiling girl around, making her squeal in delight. Ushering her side to side, and into a big spin around each other, followed by another twirl.

_ Do you remember that day (that sunny day) / when you first came my way / I said no one could take your place _

Bucky laughs loud and clear as everything drops from his shoulders and mind and he allows himself to fully let loose. Becca seems to pick up on this, dropping her hands from his, she slides next to him, bopping to the music together. Back and forth, spinning together in strangely synchronized movements. Bucky reaches for her hands and twirls her around again. With a laugh, she extends backwards, stretching the grasp as far as it will go, before spinning around and swaying up next to him.

_ Ooh, and it's alright and it's coming along / we gotta get right back to where we started from / love is good, love can be strong / we gotta get right back to where started from _

She reaches for his hands again, tugging herself closer. “This is good!” She smiles up at him with a bright-eyed look, “Mom should add this to her playlist!”

Bucky nods with a grin, extending his arm out to send her into another twirl, “I think so too.”

They keep dancing until his arm feels like it's being pulled out of the socket. He shed the jacket and draped it over a plastic chair along with her little cardigan. Rolled up the blue shirt sleeves and pushed the hair from his face. 

And Rebecca stayed right there with him for the rest of the night. Forgoing her friends to dance with her dad. Hell, she even got him to dance to the eighth repeat of Baby Shark, knowing full well that song would be stuck in his head for the foreseeable future. 

By the time the dance ended at seven, he’s more than ready to get out into some actual fresh air. Ready to shed the shirt and tie for actual comfortable clothes. And as Rebecca attempts to shove another chocolate covered strawberry into her white purse, feet exhausted from dancing song after song, she’s almost unwilling to leave. Even after the lights come back on and the gym is diminished down to just a few stragglers.

At his insistence, she finally sidles up next to him and heads for the doors, scuffing her shoes on the floor as she goes with little kicks. “We should do this again,” she muses as they step out into the warm night. Pink and orange sunrise on the horizon line.

“Oh yeah?” He asks as he opens the back door to the car for her.

“Mhmm,” she hums as she slides into the seat, “You don’t have to wear a suit or anything. We can do it in the living room and mom can make chocolate pretzels and Gabe can be there too, I guess, but we can dance. Can we get a disco ball?”

His face scrunches slightly at the question, checking the seat belt on her before pulling back, “I’m sure mom would like one. Should we go get one?”

The look on her face is worth it as she screams a loud excited “YES!”

They get home after dinner with a small little magnetic disco ball in tow, which Rebecca proudly delivers into your waiting hands with an energetic flourish. Bucky merely shrugs in defeat by the doorway as you eye him, clearly losing the battle when it came to Rebecca’s demands, brushing stray pink sequins from his arms and pant legs. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he was completely powerless when it came to his little girl. And at her insistence, you add a song to the playlist for the first time in years.

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted on my [Tumblr](https://ussgallifreyfics.tumblr.com).


End file.
